Homilies on the Gospel of John 73

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.

Great is the recompense for the service rendered to the servants of God, and from this He renders us the fruits.

For he who receives you, He says, receives Me;

and he who receives Me, receives Him who sent Me.

And what could be equal to receiving Christ, and His Father? And what is the connection of this with the things said before? What has it in common with what He said, 'If you do these things, blessed are you,' that He should add, 'He who receives you'? It is a great one, and very well in tune.

For since they were about to go forth and to suffer many terrible things, He consoles them in two ways.

For if you practice true wisdom, He says, ever holding Me in remembrance, and bearing about everywhere both what I suffered and what I did, you will easily bear the terrible things.

And not by this way alone, but also by enjoying much service from all men.

And the former He made plain, saying:

If you do these things, blessed are you;

and the other, saying, 'He who receives you receives Me.'

For He opened to them the houses of all men, so that both from the true wisdom of their character and from the eagerness of those who serve them they might have a twofold comfort.

Then, when He had given them these instructions as men who were to traverse the whole world, considering that the traitor was deprived of both of these, and would enjoy none of them—neither the endurance in labors nor the service of those who would receive them—He was troubled again.

This the Evangelist also indicates, and, showing that it was on that man's account that He was troubled, he adds:

When Jesus had said these things, He was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said:

Again He casts fear upon them all by not naming the man;

and they are at a loss, though conscious in themselves of nothing wicked;

for they held Christ's declaration to be more trustworthy than their own reasonings.

Therefore they also looked upon one another.

Now by casting the whole matter upon one, He curtailed their fear;

but by adding, 'One of you,' He threw them all into confusion.

What then? The others look upon one another;

but Peter, everywhere ardent, beckons to John.

For since he had before been rebuked, and had hindered Him when He wished to wash [his feet], and everywhere is found setting out from longing love,

yet, having been reproached, fearing on this account, he neither kept silent nor spoke out, but wishes to learn through the mediation of John.

But this is worthy of inquiry: why ever, when all were in agony and trembling, and the chief of them was afraid, does John, as though luxuriating, recline upon the bosom of Jesus?

and not only reclines, but even upon His breast;

and not this alone is worthy of investigation, but also what follows.

And what is this? What he says concerning himself: 'Whom Jesus loved.'

For why did no other say this concerning him, though the others too were loved? But this one was loved more than the rest.

And if no other said this concerning him, but he himself said it concerning himself, that is nothing marvelous.

Paul too does this, when occasion calls, saying thus: 'I know a man, fourteen years ago;'

and yet not few were the other praises that were recounted of him.

Or does it seem to you a small thing that, on hearing 'Follow Me,' he at once left his nets and his father and followed; and that He took him alone with Peter up into the mountain, and again elsewhere when He entered into a house? And how great a praise of Peter did he himself recount, and did not conceal it, saying that Christ had said:

'Peter, do you love Me more than these?' And everywhere he shows him to be ardent and genuinely disposed toward Him.

So when he said, 'And what of this man?' he said this out of much longing.

For this reason, then, no other said this concerning him;

but neither would he himself have said it, had he not fallen upon this passage.

For if, having said that Peter beckoned to John to ask, he had added nothing more, he would have created much perplexity, and would have compelled us to seek the reason;

therefore, resolving this himself, he says, 'He was reclining on the bosom of Jesus.'

Or do you think it a small thing to have learned, on hearing that he reclined, and that the Teacher imparted to them so great a freedom of access? And if you seek to learn the cause of this too, the matter was one of love;

for this reason he says, 'Whom Jesus loved.' But I think that he does this also for another reason, wishing to show himself a stranger to the accusation.

For this reason he speaks with freedom and is bold.

Since why did he not say this in another passage, but only when the chief beckoned? For, lest you should suppose that Peter beckoned to him as being greater, he says that it was on account of the great love that this took place.

And why does he fall upon His breast? They as yet suspected nothing great concerning him;

and besides, He was soothing their despondency.

For it was likely that their countenance too was downcast at that time.

For if they were troubled in their souls, much more in their countenances.

Soothing them, therefore, both by word and by the question, He prepares the way and permits him to lean back upon His breast.

But observe also his freedom from boasting.

For he did not say the name, but only 'Whom He loved;'

just as Paul also, when he said:

'I know a man, fourteen years ago.'

Then indeed for the first time does Jesus convict him, and not even then by name;

but how? 'He to whom I, having dipped the morsel, shall give it.'

And the manner was such as to put to shame;

for he did not even respect the table, though he had shared in the same bread.

Grant it: the fellowship of the salt did not shame him;

yet the receiving of the morsel from His very hand—whom would that not have drawn to Him? But it did not draw that man.

Wherefore also 'Satan then entered into him,' laughing him to scorn for his shamelessness;

for so long as he was of the company, Satan did not dare to leap upon him, but assailed him only from without;

but when He had made him manifest and set him apart, then thereafter Satan leaped upon him without restraint;

for it was not fitting to keep within, and for long, one who was such and past all amendment.

For this reason He thereafter cast him out; and being thus cut off he is then taken by that one, and leaving them he went out by night.

'Friend, that which thou doest, do quickly.'

'And no one of those reclining at table knew.'

Alas, how great the insensibility!

How was he not softened, nor put to shame, but rather, becoming yet more shameless, went forth!

And the words 'Do it quickly' are not those of one commanding, nor of one counselling, but of one reproaching and showing that He Himself had indeed wished to set him right;

but since he was past correction, He lets him go.

'And this,' he says, 'no one of those reclining knew.'

Here one might find much perplexity, seeing that, when the disciples asked who it was, He says:

'He it is to whom I shall give the morsel when I have dipped it'—and even so they did not understand;

unless indeed He spoke it secretly, so that no one heard.

For this reason John, having leaned upon His breast, asks all but into His very ear, that the betrayer might not be made manifest;

and Christ answered in like manner, and not even then did He make him manifest;

and though He spoke pointedly, 'Friend, that which thou doest, do quickly,'

this He said to show that what He had spoken to the Jews concerning His death was true.

For to them also He had said, 'I have power to lay down My life, and I have power to take it again';

and, 'No one taketh it from Me.'

So long, then, as He held it fast, no one had strength against Him;

but when at last He let it go, then the thing became easy.

Hinting, then, at all these things, He said, 'That which thou doest, do quickly';

and not even then did He make him manifest.

For perhaps they would even have torn him in pieces; perhaps Peter would even have slain him.

For this reason 'No one of those reclining knew.'

Not even John, then? No, not even he;

for he would never have expected that a disciple would advance to such a pitch of lawlessness.

For since they were far removed from such wickedness, neither could they suspect such things of others.

As, then, He had said to them before, 'I speak not concerning all,' and nowhere disclosed it;

so here too they supposed it was said concerning another.

'And it was night when he went out,' he says.

Why do you tell me the time? That you may learn his rashness—that not even the hour restrained him from his onset.

But not even this made him manifest.

Those men, then, held fast by fear and much anguish, were at that time troubled, and knew not the true cause of what had been said;

but they suspected that He said this 'that he should give something to the poor.'

For He took much care for the poor, teaching us also to make much zeal on their behalf.

And they thought this not without reason, but because he had the money-box;

and yet no one appears to have offered Him money;

but that the women disciples supported Him out of their substance, this He said.

But how is it that He who commanded them to carry neither wallet, nor money, nor staff, yet Himself carried a money-box for the ministering to the poor? That you may learn that even one who is utterly without possessions and crucified to the world must exercise much forethought over this matter.

For He did many things by way of ordering our instruction.

This, then, the disciples supposed He meant, that he should give something to the poor.

And not even this shamed him—that until the very last day He was unwilling to make an example of him.

This too we ought to do, and not to parade abroad the sins of our associates, even though they be incurable.

For indeed even afterwards, when he came to betray Him, He gave him a kiss.

And He submitted to so great a thing, and advanced to what was far more daring—the cross itself, the death that was full of reproach;

and there again He displayed His love toward mankind.

And here He calls the thing 'glory,' teaching us that nothing is so shameful and full of reproach but that it makes more illustrious the one who undergoes it, when it is done according to God.

After Judas, then, had gone forth to betray Him, He says:

'Now is the Son of man glorified';

thereby raising up the fallen reasonings of the disciples, and persuading them not only not to be downcast, but even to rejoice.

For this reason also He rebuked Peter at the beginning.

For to prevail over death when brought into death—this is great glory.

And this is what He said concerning Himself:

'When I am lifted up, then shall ye know that I am He';

and again, 'Destroy this temple';

and again, 'There shall no sign be given you, save the sign of Jonah.'

For how is it not great glory, even after death to have power for things greater than those before death?

For that the resurrection might be believed, the disciples wrought greater works.

But if He were not living, and were not God, how did these men work so many things in His name? 'And God shall glorify Him.'

What is 'And God shall glorify Him in Himself'? That is, by Himself, not by another.

'And He shall straightway glorify Him';

for not after a long time, He says, nor will He await the far-off season of the resurrection, nor will He then make it glorious, but straightway upon the cross itself the glorious things shall appear.

The sun, at any rate, was darkened, the rocks were rent, the veil was torn, many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep arose, the tomb

had seals set upon it, and guards sat beside it;

and though the stone lay upon the body, the body arose.

Forty days passed, and the bounty of the Spirit came, and immediately all men proclaimed Him.

This is what is meant by 'He shall glorify Him in Himself, and shall straightway glorify Him.'

Not through angels and archangels, nor through any other power, but through Himself.

But how also did you glorify Him through Him? By doing all things that pertain to the glory of the Son.

And yet the Son did all things.

You see that He ascribes to the Father the things done by Himself.

'Little children, yet a little while I am with you.'

'You shall seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, that where I go you cannot come.'

He begins now, after the supper, to speak of the things that would grieve them.

For when Judas had gone out, it was no longer evening, but night.

Since they were soon after to be scattered, it was necessary to commit all things to them, so that they might keep them in memory.

Or rather, the Spirit brought all things to their remembrance.

For it was likely that they, hearing these things then for the first time, and being about to endure such trials, would let many of them slip.

For those who were sinking into sleep, as another evangelist also says, and were oppressed with dejection, as Christ Himself declares.

'But because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.'

How then could they have retained all these things accurately? Why then were they spoken? It was no small gain to them, toward the glory of Christ, that afterwards, when they were reminded, they should clearly know that they had long before heard these things from Christ.

But for what reason does He forecast and prepare their soul beforehand, saying, 'Yet a little while I am with you'? To the Jews indeed it was fittingly spoken.

But for what reason do you set us likewise in the same rank with those unthankful ones? By no means does He do so.

And for what reason did He say, 'As I said to the Jews'? He reminded them that it was not now, on account of the presence of the dreadful things, that He foretold these things.

But He knew them beforehand from the beginning, and they themselves who heard were witnesses that He had said these things also to the Jews.

Wherefore also He added the word 'Little children.'

So that hearing 'As I said to the Jews,' they might not suppose that what was said had been spoken to them in like manner as to those.

Therefore He says these things not to cast them down, but to comfort them, lest the dreadful things, coming upon them unexpectedly, should throw them into confusion: 'Where I go, you cannot come.'

He shows that His death is a removal and a change to something better, to a place that receives no corruptible bodies.

And He says these things also to stir up and to make more fervent their longing after Him.

For you know that whenever we see any of those dearest to us departing, we are especially inflamed with longing, and even more so when we see them going away to a place to which we cannot follow.

To the former, then, He said these things to alarm them; but to the latter, to kindle their longing.

Such is the place, that not only those, but not even you, the dearest, are able to come there.

Here too He shows His own dignity.

Why 'now'? In one way for those, and in another way for you.

That is, not with those.

But where did the Jews seek Him? And where the disciples? The disciples indeed, when they fled.

And the Jews, when they suffered those incurable calamities that surpass all description, when the city itself was taken, and the wrath sent from God was borne against them from every side.

To those, then, He said this at that time on account of their unbelief; but to you now, so that the dreadful things might not come upon you unexpectedly.

'A new commandment I give to you.'

For since it was likely that they, hearing these things, would fall into confusion, as though they were about to be left desolate, He comforts them by casting around them the root and security of all good things, namely love.

Do you grieve at My departing? But if you love one another, you will be the stronger.

How then is it that He did not say this? Because He said what profited them more than this.

'By this shall all men know that you are My disciples.'

For by this He signified at the same time that the choir would not be quenched, since He also gave them a token.

And He said this when the traitor had been cut off from them.

But how does He call this a new commandment, seeing it is also laid down in the Old Testament? He Himself made it new by the manner of it.

'I have not paid you a debt of good deeds previously rendered to you by you, but I Myself took the lead,' He says.

So too must you benefit those dearest to you, even without owing them anything.

And leaving unmentioned the miracles which they were to work, He characterizes them by their love.

Why so? Because this above all is what shows men to be holy.

For it is the foundation of all virtue.

By this most of all we are all saved.

For this, He says, is what it is to be a disciple.

In this way all men will praise you, when they see you imitating My love.

What then? Do not the miracles much rather show this? By no means.

'Lord, did we not cast out demons in Your name?' And again, when they rejoiced that the demons were subject to them, He says:

'Do not rejoice that the demons are subject to you, but that your names are written in heaven.'

And indeed this drew the whole world, since that other thing preceded it.

But if that had not been, neither would this have endured.

This, at any rate, immediately made them good and virtuous, and caused the heart and soul of all to be one.

But had they been divided from one another, all would have perished.

And He was speaking these things not to those alone, but also to all who should believe in Him.

Since even now there is nothing else that stumbles the Greeks so much as the lack of love.

'But they also lay it to our charge that miracles are not wrought,' one may say.

But where did the apostles display love? You see Peter and John inseparable from each other, and going up together to the temple. You see Paul so disposed toward them.

And are you at a loss? For if they possessed the other things, much more did they have the mother of all good things.

For from a virtuous soul this fruit springs up.

But where there is wickedness, this plant withers away.

For 'when iniquity abounds,' He says, 'the love of many shall grow cold.'

And the Greeks are not so much drawn by miracles as by a good life.

And nothing so produces a good life as love.

For those other things they often even called the workers of them deceivers.

But of a pure life they could not lay hold to find fault.

So then, while the preaching had not yet been spread abroad, miracles were fittingly marvelled at.

But as things now stand, a man ought to be admired for his manner of life.

For nothing so shames the pagans as virtue;

and nothing gives such offense as wickedness.

For when he sees a man grasping after gain, seizing what is not his, commanding others to do the opposite of what is right, and treating his own kinsmen like wild beasts—though he has been bidden to love even his enemies—he will call all these teachings mere nonsense.

When he sees a man trembling before death, how will he receive our discourses about immortality? When he sees men lusting for power and enslaved to the other passions, he will abide the more firmly in his own doctrines, imagining nothing great concerning us.

For we are the cause—yes, we—of their remaining in error.

For long ago they condemned their own doctrines, and they likewise admire ours;

yet by our manner of life they are held back.

For to philosophize in words is easy (indeed, many even among themselves have done this);

but they seek the demonstration that comes through deeds.

But let them consider the men of old among us.

But they will not believe at all; rather, they seek out those who are living now.

'Show me,' he says, 'your faith through your deeds.'

but rather, seeing us tearing our neighbors like wild beasts, they call us the ruin of the world.

These things hold the pagans fast and do not allow them to come over to us.

So that we too shall give account for these things—not only for the evil we ourselves do, but also for the things whereby the name of God is blasphemed.

How long shall we be given over to riches, to luxury, and to the other passions? Let us then at last withdraw from them.

Hear what the prophet says concerning certain senseless men:

But as regards those who are now present, one cannot even say this;

so many wrap around themselves the goods that belong to all.

Thus, reproaching them also, the prophet said:

'Shall you dwell alone upon the earth?' Wherefore I too am afraid lest some grievous thing befall us, and we draw upon ourselves a heavy punishment from God.

That this may not come to pass, let us give heed to virtue in all its forms, that we may also attain the good things to come, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord

Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom be glory to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.